The Native Bee Network aims to answer many questions about the best ways to raise our native bees.

What are the dispersion ratios of each bee? Some bee species have a predisposition to fly away instead of nest where they emerged. Bees that disperse less are more valuable to during the Propagation phase of the Native Bee Network.

What time of year are the bees active?Bees emerge at different times of the year. Some emerge at the beginning of spring, some midway through spring, others deep into the summer.

What triggers each bee to emerge from their cocoon?Is it temperature, moisture, or time of year?

Do bees have a pollen preference?Some bees are specialists and only gather pollen from a few native plants. Other bees are generalists and gather pollen from any plant.

How can each bee be managed?In learning how to manage new bees, we must think of the bees first, and adapt our farming practices to their needs if increased food production is warranted.

What nest building material do bees prefer?Each bee species uses a different natural nest building material that they evolved to use. Some species use mud, leaves, chewed leaves, resin, sawdust, plant fuzz, and sometimes they mix materials.

What are bee’s natural ranges?Entomologists and other researchers have found and identified bees across the globe. A bee might have been found at a location 50 years ago, but the species may be extinct or their natural range has changed. For the hole-nesting species, we hope to shed light on bee population data.

If you know researchers, we ask that you send them a link to this page: [Future link to Science Corner to be developed]